Arizona

Arizona

Endangered Species Act Emergency Consultations on Wildfires

2003

During the 2003 wildfire season in Arizona, 186,493 acres burned in 2,406 wildfires. Arizona Ecological Services Field Office, Fish and Wildlife Service, biologists participated in 11 emergency Endangered Species Act Section 7 consultations from March through August. Eight of the fires were on Forest Service-administered lands, two were on Bureau of Land Management lands, and one was on National Park Service land. FWS biologists were on the fire lines as resource and technical advisors, wildland fire use manager, and Burned Area Emergency Rehabilitation team member. They provided recommendations during fire suppression and rehabilitation efforts to avoid or minimize negative effects to species including Mexican spotted owl, cactus ferruginous pygmy-owl, and Gila chub; and participated in rescue of Gila chub from Sabino Canyon during the Aspen fire. Biologists are also working to complete consultations underway from 2002 and earlier wildfires.